A few weeks ago, with no notice, the U.S. government intercepted Mary Grice’s tax refunds from both the IRS and the state of Maryland. Grice had no idea that Uncle Sam had seized her money until some days later, when she got a letter saying that her refund had gone to satisfy an old debt to the government — a very old debt.

When Grice was 4, back in 1960, her father died, leaving her mother with five children to raise. Until the kids turned 18, Sadie Grice got survivor benefits from Social Security to help feed and clothe them.

Now, Social Security claims it overpaid someone in the Grice family — it’s not sure who — in 1977. After 37 years of silence, four years after Sadie Grice died, the government is coming after her daughter. Why the feds chose to take Mary’s money, rather than her surviving siblings’, is a mystery.

well this is just scary and downright orwellian… ummm, yeah… welcome to hope & change big government, people.

Hang on a second. Let’s think this through. As a society, we seem to be fine with kids accepting inheritance if their parents don’t spend all they’ve acquired before death, right? So it would seem hypocritical to not support kids taking on debt as well.

Personally, I think it would be fun to make inheriting money illegal and/or taxed at a ridiculously high rate. Want to be a true land of opportunity? Fine. Let’s make everyone earn their wealth as individuals. Being born in the right family will still provide better education, and more doors opened, but if you don’t inherit a stack of cash with it, things would be a little more even. Would make it easier for the true hard workers to thrive, and rich lazy kids to be exposed for what they are.